Cathodic corrosion protection: electroplated zinc, zinc-nickel and zinc flake coatings including full-service solutions
WHW Walter Hillebrand GmbH & Co. KG
Wickede (Ruhr) Plant I · Wickede (Ruhr) Plant II · Langenfeld · Wickede (Ruhr) Hillebrand Chemicals · Fröndenberg · Wickede (Ruhr) Haus GerbensNew on Amplifa
About WHW Hillebrand
WHW Walter Hillebrand GmbH & Co. KG is a family-run surface finishing company founded in 1937, headquartered in Wickede (Ruhr). The focus is on cathodic corrosion protection through electroplating processes such as zinc, alkaline zinc-nickel and zinc-iron systems, tin-nickel coatings (SYNOGARD), zinc flake coating in the dip-spin process, and duplex combination layers of zinc-nickel and KTL (cathodic electrocoating). Steel parts, cast parts and zinc die castings are finished — from bulk mass-produced goods to geometrically complex components. The service portfolio includes vibratory finishing, chemical deburring, coating preparation, thread locking, partial anti-friction coating and under-head coating, 100% sorting, assembly, packaging and logistics. Through its subsidiary Hillebrand Chemicals, the company develops and produces its own coating chemistry and operates failure analysis and material characterization. Customers primarily include the automotive industry with its suppliers, as well as electromobility, electronics, two-wheeler, household appliance, lock and fittings industries. Around 650 employees work at 6 sites in Wickede, Langenfeld and Fröndenberg; up to 750 tonnes of material are processed daily.
- Site
- Wickede (Ruhr)
- Processes
- Alkaline zinc-nickel coating (PREMIUM BLACK), Zinc-nickel coating (PREMIUM PLUS), Zinc-nickel coating (PREMIUM SILVER), Acidic zinc coating (HIGH QUALITY ZINC), Alkaline zinc-iron coating (BRILLIANT BLACK), Alkaline zinc-iron coating (BRILLIANT SILVER), Tin-nickel coating with graphite particles (SYNOGARD), DUPLEX (zinc-nickel combined with KTL)
- Materials
- Steel, Zinc die casting, Cast parts, Zinc-nickel coating (alkaline), Duplex (zinc-nickel with KTL), Zinc-iron coating (alkaline), Zinc coating (acidic), Zinc flake coating (dip-spin)
- Certificates
- Certified sorting and testing technology (19 systems), Testing according to VDA standard (labeling), Laboratory analytics and failure analysis
- Founded
- 1937
- Employees
- 650
- Industries
- Automotive industry and suppliers, Electromobility, Electronics, Two-wheeler industry, Household appliances, Lock and fittings industry
- 01
Vibratory finishing / pretreatment
- 02
Coating preparation (taping, masking, sealing of cavities)
- 03
Electroplated coating or zinc flake/KTL coating
- 04
Thread locking / partial anti-friction and under-head coating
- 05
100% sorting or manual quality inspection
- 06
Assembly
- 07
Packaging
- 08
Logistics / dispatch
Coating Systems and Processes
Zinc-nickel coating (alkaline)
High-performance alloy with 12–16 % nickel for maximum corrosion protection, e.g. in the engine compartment, on axle fasteners and braking systems.
Duplex (zinc-nickel with KTL)
Combination layer for high optical requirements and very high corrosion protection.
Zinc-iron coating (alkaline)
System for black or silver appearance with high white rust resistance.
Zinc coating (acidic)
Barrel process with uniform coating thickness distribution and adjustable coefficient of friction for fasteners.
Zinc flake coating (dip-spin)
Process for bulk goods with very high corrosion protection in black or silver appearance.
Tin-nickel coating (SYNOGARD)
Coating with graphite particles for corrosion resistance, sliding properties and conductivity, among other things for electromobility.
Direct passivation of zinc die castings (PREMIUM DIE CAST FINISH)
Corrosion protection even for complex geometries of zinc die-cast components.
Chemical deburring
Barrel process for high-precision deburring within tight tolerance ranges (± 1 µm), also for internal burrs.
Vibratory finishing
Mechanical-chemical surface treatment for deburring, paint removal, polishing and edge rounding prior to coating.
Thread locking / thread pre-coating
precote® products and polyamide coatings according to DIN 267-27/28 against unintended loosening of screw connections.
Sites
Plant I, Wickede (Ruhr)
DEProduction, administration, headquarters
- Materials
- Steel, cast parts
- State-of-the-art coating systems for electroplating and KTL
- SAP-connected logistics (consignment warehouse, picking)
Plant II, Wickede (Ruhr)
DEZinc flake production
- Lot size
- Bulk mass-produced goods
- Materials
- Steel
- Dip-spin systems for zinc flake coating
Plant III, Langenfeld
DEProduction site
Hillebrand Chemicals, Wickede (Ruhr)
DEChemistry production, research & development, laboratory analytics
- Scanning electron microscope with EDX
- Confocal laser scanning microscope
- Light microscope (reflected light, stereo)
WHW Dienstleistungen, Fröndenberg
DEFull-service center for post-coating services
- 19 fully automatic sorting systems (glass and steel turntables)
- 3 systems for partial anti-friction coating
- 7 systems for thread locking
- 2 systems for under-head coating
- 14 systems for selection sorting
- 2 packaging systems
- System for chemical deburring in barrels
Haus Gerbens, Wickede (Ruhr)
DECompany site
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkaline zinc-nickel coating (PREMIUM BLACK)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Zinc-nickel coating (PREMIUM PLUS)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Zinc-nickel coating (PREMIUM SILVER)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Acidic zinc coating (HIGH QUALITY ZINC)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Alkaline zinc-iron coating (BRILLIANT BLACK)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Alkaline zinc-iron coating (BRILLIANT SILVER)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Tin-nickel coating with graphite particles (SYNOGARD)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| DUPLEX (zinc-nickel combined with KTL)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Zinc flake coating dip-spin (PREMIUM ZINCFLAKE BLACK/SILVER)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Zinc die casting direct passivation (PREMIUM DIE CAST FINISH)Surface | – | – | – | – | Zinc die casting |
| Chemical deburring (barrel application, precision parts ± 1 µm)Surface | ± 1 µm | – | – | – | Steel |
| Vibratory finishingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coating preparation (taping, masking, sealing of cavities)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Thread locking / thread pre-coating (precote® products, DIN 267-27/28, polyamide coatings)Surface | – | – | – | – | metallic surfaces, non-metallic surfaces |
| Partial anti-friction coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Under-head coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| 100% sorting / camera selection / eddy current testingTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manual assembly (riveting and press-fitting processes, labels, clips, protective caps)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Packaging (fully automatic/manual, cartons, KLT, plastic bags)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Failure analysis / material characterization / coating developmentEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
11 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fully automatic sorting systems (glass and steel turntables) | – | 19 | – | – | Fröndenberg |
| Systems for partial anti-friction coating | – | 3 | – | – | Fröndenberg |
| Systems for thread locking | – | 7 | – | – | Fröndenberg |
| Systems for under-head coating | – | 2 | – | – | Fröndenberg |
| Systems for selection sorting | – | 14 | – | – | Fröndenberg |
| Packaging systems | – | 2 | – | – | Fröndenberg |
| System for chemical deburring in barrels | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dip-spin systems for zinc flake coating | – | – | – | – | Wickede (Plant II) |
| Scanning electron microscope with EDX | – | 1 | – | – | Wickede (Hillebrand Chemicals) |
| Confocal laser scanning microscope | – | 1 | – | – | Wickede (Hillebrand Chemicals) |
| Light microscope (reflected light, stereo) | – | – | – | – | Wickede (Hillebrand Chemicals) |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Testing Technology
Quality assurance includes 100% sorting with 19 fully automatic glass and steel turntable sorting systems including camera sorting and eddy current testing (e.g. for crack detection) as well as manual 100% quality inspections. The Material Science department at Hillebrand Chemicals examines materials and coatings before and after coating using a scanning electron microscope with EDX, a confocal laser scanning microscope and a light microscope.
| Evidence | Fröndenberg | Wickede (Hillebrand Chemicals) |
|---|---|---|
| Certified sorting and testing technology (19 systems) | ||
| Testing according to VDA standard (labeling) | ||
| Laboratory analytics and failure analysis |
History
- 1937
Walter August Hillebrand founds a metal goods factory on Ringstraße in Wickede.
- 1943
Möhne disaster – WHW production is affected by the flood wave.
- 1952
First presentation at the Hannover Industrial Fair.
- 1967
Specialization in electroplating, production with the first semi-automatic coating systems.
- 1974
Ernst Walter Hillebrand (2nd generation) takes over management of the company.
- 1977
Relocation of the site to Westerhaar.
- 1985
New building with production hall, warehouse, laboratory and administration.
- 2000
Construction of WHW Plant II.
- 2003
Foundation of GC Galvano Consult (today Hillebrand Chemicals) with R&D and its own chemistry production.
- 2005
Extension building for Plant I.
- 2006
Acquisition and conversion of a production building in Langenfeld (Plant III).
- 2008
New building for zinc flake production.
- 2009
New building for the full-service center in Wickede.
- 2012
Relocation of the full-service center to Fröndenberg, introduction of the WHW 360 concept.
- 2014
Expansion of logistics areas at Plant I, SAP migration.
- 2016
Expansion of zinc flake production at Plant II.
- 2017
Opening of the CIT Centrum für Innovation & Technologie.
- 2026
Scheduled completion of the sprinkler system.
- 2030
Target of climate neutrality (WHW25+ strategy).